News in brief

Nuclear test veterans win family health probe

Veterans of nuclear weapons tests are claiming victory after the Ministry of Defence agreed to investigate claims that their descendants suffer congenital diseases linked to exposure to radiation.

Hundreds of children and grandchildren of ex-servicemen are said to have been hit by ill-health as a result of the A-bomb tests on Christmas Island and in Australia in the Fifties. Defence minister Kevan Jones, who met veterans and MPs at the MoD on Wednesday, heard one study had shown that among veterans' children the number of congenital defects was nearly 10 times that among other children, while miscarriages and stillbirths were up to five times the normal rate. The defects included cataracts at birth, deformed spines, muscle wasting, deafness, missing teeth, and holes in hearts.

Now Jones has agreed to consult experts to develop a research programme to look into the problem. He also agreed to review anomalies in war pensions awarded to nuclear veterans.

John Lowe, chairman of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association, said: 'This is a victory for something we have been fighting for for more than 20 years.'Alan Rimmer

Megrahi wants cancer treatment in Scotland

The former Libyan agent convicted of the Lockerbie bombing wants to stay in Scotland for medical treatment, if he is freed from prison on Thursday.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, 56, who was convicted of killing 270 people on board Pan Am flight 103 in 1988, has prostate cancer which has spread to other parts of his body. He was given a life sentence but is currently appealing his conviction and could be let out on bail this week.

If he is granted interim freedom, his lawyer, Tony Kelly, says that Megrahi wants to remain in Scotland, rather than go home to Libya, though he would probably opt for private treatment rather than NHS care.

'There wouldn't be an incursion on the public purse,' Kelly said.Lisa Bachelor

Executions overshadow Prince's Indonesian visit

The Prince of Wales flew into Indonesia yesterday, as the world's most populous Muslim country braced itself for a potential backlash against the execution of three militant extremists. Charles went straight to the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta to meet leaders of prominent Islamic social organisations on the first of a five-day visit to highlight the threat to the world's rainforests and to promote interfaith dialogue. But there are fears the trip could be overshadowed by the imminent execution of Imam Samudra, Amrozi Nurhasyim and Ali Ghufron, sentenced to death for planning and helping to carry out the nightclub attacks on Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people.Caroline Davies

Slump sets circulation of £50 notes soaring

The number of £50 notes in circulation has risen 20 per cent in the last year, according to the security company that transports 90 per cent of banknotes.

'Although the retail take is going down, there's more switching on to cash payments, so our processing of cash is picking up in terms of volume,' Nick Buckles, chief executive of G4S, told BBC's Radio 4. 'What we've seen over cycles before is that cash in circulation increases during tougher times.' European banks had issued €30bn (£23.8bn) of cash in the first two weeks of October, he said - the biggest jump since 2004.

The £37bn government bailout of several high-street banks has made savers nervous. The Association for Payment Clearing Services said the rise in £50 notes could indicate a lack of trust in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme guarantee of safety for the first £50,000 in bank savings. But, it pointed out, the circulation of cash often rises in the lead-up to Christmas.Lisa Bachelor

Mills & Boon booms amid recession gloom

The economic downturn has fuelled a sharp increase in sales for Mills & Boon as people turn to its romantic novels for escapism, it has been claimed. The publisher, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this month, has revealed that 2008 is turning out to be its most successful year to date.

'This has been the most successful year for Mills & Boon ever, with hundreds of millions of copies sold,' said Digby Halsby, spokesman for the publishers. 'Mills & Boon is recession-proof, as people seek joyous relief from the gloomy news headlines. Everyone loves a happy ending, and Mills & Boon always deliver that.'

Since its launch in Covent Garden in 1908, the publisher's formula has continued to thrive with a UK readership alone of more than 1.3 million, largely women, accounting for one book sold every three seconds.Paul Kelbie